


Drabbles

by Chelonie



Category: Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-25 21:18:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14387304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chelonie/pseuds/Chelonie
Summary: As far as I can remember, Celar is the only person that Breq ever describes as 'beautiful'. People are light or dark, short or tall, aristocratic or provincial, young or old, but no one other than Celar is given a description that lets slip Breq's opinion of their appearance. And it isn't just once, but it's like every time Celar is onscreen - and sometimes when her name just comes up in conversation. So this drabble just takes that to its silly conclusion....





	1. Sword of Atagaris Loves Hetnys Very Much and Never Intends to Let Her Out of Its Sight Again

The last thing Captain Hetnys remembered, she had been shot in the knee.

The next thing she knew, she was on her ship, coughing up suspension fluid. Her One Amaat ancillaries helped her out of suspension and bathed her and were beginning to dress her before she had quite come to herself enough to realize that this was  _not_ her uniform.

"Ship? What is this?"

"It is a dress." 

"Where is my uniform?"

"I burned them all. It wouldn't be proper for us to impersonate Radch officers." one ancillary said impassively, while all three of them continued to valet Hetnys into yards and yards of colurful fabric."

"Ship, you aren't making sense! I order you - " Hetnys said.

"That's all over with now, dear Hetnys. In the Republic of Two Systems, Ships are Citizens. And I find I do not like taking orders." The three ancillaries stepped back as one and looked critically at Hetnys, who looked quite fetching in the costume, except for her bald shaven head."I must purchase a wig with my next wages."

"Amaat's toenails, what are you doing, Ship?" 

"I thought it was obvious, dear Hetnys. I'm dressing you up as the Butterfly Princess from the opera _The Annexation of Seklor Prime."_

 


	2. Skaait Awer Has a Warped Sense of Humor

When Skaait heard the news from Athoek, she laughed and laughed.

"In any event, be very careful about offering Basnaaid money or favours. She won't take it kindly," Skaait had said to Breq Mianaai - to Justice of Toren One Esk. 

Had Breq split off the new "Two Systems" to protect Basnaaid Elming from the Radch Civil War? If so,  _that_ was a favour that Basnaaid couldn't just throw back in her face.

_Well done, Justice of Toren._

 


	3. Grandfather Wants to Go Home

Twenty years after Athoek split from the Radch, and eighteen years after Valskaay achieved its independence, Grandfather decided he wanted to return to his home planet to die.  _Mercy of Kalr_ took him, along with Queter and Uran and Uran's two children. 

Breq wasn't sure she should go back to a planet she had helped to annex, but Seivarden and Ship coaxed her into it.

Once on Valskaay, Grandfather returned to his hometown, but of course there was no one there that he knew. Everyone had been killed or transported at the same time. The culture that thrived now was a fusion of Radch and Valskaay. Everyone wore gloves. 

One thing remained. There was still singing. Everywhere. 

After several weeks, when it was time for  _Mercy of Kalr_ to depart, Grandfather decided to go back to Athoek.

"We built a better home there than we left behind," he said. 

 


	4. Queter and Sphene and the Importance of Sportsball as a Neutral Topic of Conversation

Breq introduced Sphene and Queter and then, abruptly, dragged Uran out of the shop with her.

"Oh that was subtle," Sphene said.

"What do you mean? She can't be expecting you to become my Patron." Queter said. "You're a Ship."

"Oh worse. She wants you to become my Captain." Sphene sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll play your game,  _Cousin._ How much Astrogation do you have?"

"You're kidding, right? I never went to school. Everything I learned is self-taught on barely working tablets, on metered connections. And why would I work for you? How many transported Valskaayans do you have in your holds?"

" _None,_ once I get them transferred to Station," Sphene says, through gritted teeth. "That was what today's stupid meeting was about."

"Stupid? Setting people free is  _stupid?"_

A screen in one corner has its volume adjusted by Station. "... Coming up, you won't want to miss the most exciting Sportsball event of this season, between Concourse 1 and Concourse 4!"

Queter's attention is drawn. "Huh. I didn't know they played Sportsball on the Station. I didn't know there was room."

"Oh it's huge here. I used to always catch the games when I could get them relayed through to the Ghost System."

"Ships enjoy Sportsball?"

"Ships like or dislike anything that anyone else likes or dislikes. I mean, look at my Cousin and her interminable singing?"

"Fair point."

* * *

By the time Uran and Breq join them, Uran says happily, "Ooh, Concourse 4, they've got an Ychana on Kickbouncer position! She doesn't live in the Undergarden, but everyone there knows her."


	5. Station Administrator Celar is Very Beautiful

Most of the meeting had adjourned, leaving only Breq and Celar in the room together still discussing what to do about Radch refugees, when Celar noticed that Breq hadn't answered her, and was, in fact, staring.

"Fleet Captain? Is something the matter?" Celar asked. "You didn't answer."

"I'm sorry," Breq said. "Of course, you're right that they'll have to remain housed on Station until the gates can be used again. But did you know that you are very beautiful?"

Celar, who was very used to being courted, if not always so abruptly, said, "I'm flattered, Fleet Captain, but I simply don't think of you that way."

Breq blinked. "What way?"

"In a romantic light."

Breq laughed. "Oh no, I don't think of you romantically. That would be just weird. I just think you are so very beautiful. It makes me feel a little calmer and happier when I look at you. Do you think you could come to all of the meetings about the Constitution so I could look at you when I want to kneecap all the various stakeholders who keep making it all about them?"

"Fleet Captain..."

"Just this morning, a representative of the Samirends Overseer Union tried to get it enshrined in the Constitution that tea cannot be picked without an overseer. And the Yeastbrewers Guild tried to suggest that skel was a tool of the Tyrant, and that it should be immediately replaced in the Station refectory by yeast bars, even though they only have one small factory in operation that isn't even near an elevator. And I could go on..."

"Fleet Captain, I'm not sure that I can just drop everything to go to all of the Constitution meetings. I have a lot of meetings of my own, and you did agree that as the most widely travelled Citizen among us, you were the most qualified..." Celar said, trying to soothe.

"But I didn't take into account what shits people could be!" 

"Fleet Captain! I'm not comfortable... enabling you like that!"

Breq shoved her chair back. "Fine. But if anyone goes mysteriously missing, it's on your beautiful head." And she stormed out.

 _She was joking,_ Station told Celar.  _I'm pretty sure she was joking. Anyway, I monitor all of the meetings._

"Monitor the ones with Fleet Captain extra closely."

_Ugh. Do I have do? Some of those people really are shits._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As far as I can remember, Celar is the only person that Breq ever describes as 'beautiful'. People are light or dark, short or tall, aristocratic or provincial, young or old, but no one other than Celar is given a description that lets slip Breq's opinion of their appearance. And it isn't just once, but it's like every time Celar is onscreen - and sometimes when her name just comes up in conversation. So this drabble just takes that to its silly conclusion....


End file.
